Church and Disability: Theological Frameworks for Inclusive Ministry in South West Nigeria

This study examines the theological frameworks that inform the treatment of persons with disabilities within churches in South West Nigeria and evaluates the extent to which these frameworks produce genuinely inclusive or exclusionary ministry environments. Persons with disabilities remain among the most marginalised populations in Nigerian churches, often encountering physical, attitudinal, and theological barriers to full participation. Drawing on disability theology, African contextual hermeneutics, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the research employs a qualitative design with data gathered from forty interviews with persons with disabilities, twenty church leaders, and ten disability rights advocates across Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo states. Theological analysis focuses on the ways disability is framed in popular Nigerian preaching, including healing theology narratives, theodicy explanations, and social inclusion mandates. Findings indicate that healing-centred theologies, while providing hope for many, simultaneously stigmatise those who are not healed and imply that disability is a spiritual deficiency. Churches that hold an imago Dei framework emphasising the intrinsic dignity and giftedness of all persons demonstrate significantly more inclusive ministry environments. The study recommends the development of a disability theology curriculum for Nigerian seminaries and the adoption of accessibility standards and inclusion policies by denominational bodies in South West Nigeria. Keywords: disability theology, inclusive ministry, imago Dei, South West Nigeria, accessibility